Something Twisted This Way Comes
by Sugar Spook
Summary: The Storybook of Legends was there for a reason. It assured the students safety at the price of pre-written lives. Nothing could veer off track and therefor no one could get hurt. But after Legacy Year, when the students of Ever After High decide not to sign the book, their destinies turn darker than ever imagined, and a curse descends on the children of famous fairytales.


**Chapter One: Dark Subversion**

Blondie Lockes had been eaten by bears.

The news had spread through the kingdom like wildfire, first in loud shrieks and sobs but then quickly dying to suspicious whispers. Whispers that were accompanied with narrowed eyes and pointed glares. This was not how Blondie's story was supposed to end. The Storybook of Legends had a very strict plot; first Blondie would eat the porridge, break a chair, and fall asleep in a young bears bed. Afterwards, when the bears found her she was mercilessly chastised for her selfish and careless behavior, but left ultimately reformed, if not a touch shaken. She was supposed to leave her story alive. And, if the crime scene was any proof, that had not been the case.

Goldie Lockes, Blondie's mother, was beyond hysterics. At least, that's what the press had reported. The usually so collected and charismatic woman hadn't left her house, or even opened the door to people coming to wish their condolences and comfort her. Usually, Goldie would've jumped at a chance to talk to the press. Being a news anchor herself before her daughter's birth, the woman had reported the delightful, and predictable tales of her own friends' stories as they came true one by one. Anyone could've guessed how ecstatic she was for her own daughter, especially being the first one to fulfill her destiny. However, instead of a chipper celebrational speech that she so often delivered, the only thing the press could catch were choked sobs and silent, tear-filled screams heard through the walls of the Locke's manor and in the streets of the magical cul-de-sac that it resided on. "This is just not right! It's not _right!_" No one would, or could, argue with her.

No one knew exactly what happened. There were rumors that Blondie had picked up Baby bear to make sure he wasn't too small and scrawny to survive come the nearing winter, causing Mama bear to become enraged and act out of instinct. Other's said that family of bears weren't even a family and instead were a pack of wild animals that barged into the house before Blondie could even finish her fairytale. Some were trying to blame Blondie for her own death, searching for holes in story, or insisting that it was even the wrong story from her in the first place. _If she didn't belong to that story, it's no wonder she had an violent ending,_ people would hiss. _Everyone knows that you're cursed if you try to go into another person's fairytale!_

And who could blame them? No story had a sour ending for Royals since the dark ages! Blondie had been assured a happily ever, and according to law, science, magic, and every single generation of Lockes before her, that destiny should have happened. If only there was something they could blame. Or someone.

The quick, vicious whispers had not escaped the quaint town of Book End, where locals cast wary and sometimes accusatory glares at the former students of Ever After High. Even the kingdom's darling, Apple White, hadn't been spared the evil eye. The blustery weather of fall wasn't the only thing making Apple shiver. She was getting the cold shoulder from most of the non-fairytale folk that resided in the town. They'd turn their heads to whisper at her as she passed them, each dirty look or muttered curse word thrown her way felt like thorns in her heart. But a future ruler of her kingdom did not crack under pressure; if there was anything to be learned from this, it was how to remain dignified under scrutiny from the public. The young woman held her chin aloft, soft blonde curls bouncing as she made her way to her friend's tea shop.

The usually busy and buzzing Haberdashery was closed for the day, but a large number of people still sat inside, shifting nervously in levitating chairs that surrounded a long dining table topped with a checker-board patterned tablecloth. Platters of pastries already stood untouched the in the middle of the table, along with steaming pots of tea and towers of cups and saucers. Objects would float to and fro above the customers heads offering refills or general merriment to the somber crowd. Apple let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was only people she knew. An understatement, considering her popularity at school, but these were all people she dearly loved. She opened the doors, and hearing the familiar 'cuckoo, cuckoo' it triggered, and all heads snapped around to look at her. Also something she was used to. Except instead of the friendly smiles and adoring gazes she usually received, all her friend's faces were pinched with worry, each wearing a frown or a scowl.

The future queen took a deep breath. These people needed a leader. She was their leader, and she needed to help them. Apple supposed that she would figure out just _how_ to help them as she went along.

"Everyone. I know just how… shocking this is. But we've all gathered here- thank you by the way, Maddie, for letting us rent out the Tea Shoppe for the day- we've all gathered here to voice our thoughts about Blondie's… about what happened to Blondie. And it means so much that you've all come. To see how many of her friends could show her support today, really just shows how spelltacular she was." Apple tried to keep her tone light, yet dignified, but she couldn't help it from wobbling at the very end. She quickly looked for an empty chair and took a seat at the head of the table. As Apple sat down, she found that the chair lifted from the ground several inches, like the others. But, instead of bobbing merrily through the room, it floated listlessly in one place as if it felt heartbroken over Blondie's death as well.

There was a pregnant pause after her speech, and Apple surveyed the room. The others still needed a little push to open up about their feelings. She looked to her left, where Briar sat with her sunglasses over her eyes; then to the right, where Raven Queen lazily pushed the tip of a butter knife across the table. Some of their eyes, particularly the Rebel's, had turned downward to stare in their laps. "Would anyone like to say a few words, about Blondie? Or anything, really." Apple continued.

Madeline Hatter, or Maddie as she was affectionately called, bounced maniacally over with a steaming teapot and set it on the table in front of Apple. Lifting her hat, the vividly colorful haired girl unceremoniously pulled out a china teacup on a painted saucer and set it in front of her as well "To rewind the clock/ to unpick the vine/ the cub covets not until next time."

To unpick the what? Apple narrowed her eyes for a moment, lips mouthing the words as if saying them again could construct the riddle into something she could easily understand. Cedar Wood, sitting directly at the other end of the table, cocked her head and raised her hand as if she was still in class. "Um, Maddie? I mean, I don't want to speak for everybody but what did you say?" A few people nodded, as Riddlish still wasn't a commonly known language, even though more refugees from Wonderland were arriving through looking glasses and rabbit holes almost daily. Apple made a mental note when she became queen to make Riddlish a required language in her kingdom. And also, start taking Riddlish lessons from someone. Still, she felt thankful that Cedar voiced her concerns despite the tense atmosphere, otherwise no one would've caught a word Maddie had said. Leave it to Cedar to always tell the truth.

"Oh? Oh! Sorry." Maddie's toothy grin snapped to life, though it looked much more strained and watered down than a few days ago. She took the liberty of pouring Cedar's tea for her. "This is Blueberry Bombspell tea! Blondie's favorite. She would come in every Monday on her free period for a cup…" The grin faltered as she trailed off, staring into space. The tea began to overflow from Cedar's cup, but as it hit the tablecloth the drops shot up again as if they were rubber balls. They bounced along the checkerboard pattern until they landed squarely in Apple's cup, filling it just before the brim. Apple let herself smile, taking comfort in the small oddity. Though the Wonderland Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe wasn't exactly the best place for mourning, it never failed to raise your spirits, even just a little bit.

As Apple raised the cup to her lips and took a sip, she heard a kind voice pipe up next to Briar. Ashlynn, the pumpkin-haired daughter of Cinderella, was speaking into her tea. "Blondie would always come here for tea and porridge when she had to edit her Mirrorcast. After her crew was done editing, of course. She said that it had to be just right." she finished with a sad laugh, tracing the rim of her cup with her finger.

Someone sighed across the table, and as she looked up Apple could see Dexter shaking his head. "That blog was her life. She was always coming up with new ideas, like, on the hour. Do you guys remember that episode when she wanted to prove whether or not there were mermaids living the grotto on the edge of the enchanted forest? She made me dive all the way to the bottom to get the perfect shot. I swear I almost died!"

A few people around Dexter laughed, and the young prince smiled. Looking back, that had been one of the better episodes Blondie had done. The laughter quieted down into uncomfortable silence once people realized the "d-word" had been used, and Dexter slunk back into his chair, looking embarrassed. Raven, sitting next to his left, put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave Dexter a smile. The younger Charming brother returned it, half of his face buried in his scarf. "It's okay, Dex."

"We might as well start saying it now, right?" Raven continued. "Blondie's dead." She tried to sound like her usual semi-snarky self, but 'dead' still sounded strangled when it escaped her lips. "She died and we have to accept that."

"I think everyone accepts it, Raven." snapped Ashlynn from across the table. "I mean, no one's saying she isn't. Maybe you could just be a little more sensitive to people who knew Blondie better. It's harder for us."

Raven scoffed, standing up to face Ashlynn directly. "Blondie and I were just as good of friends as you two were."

Rising in return, Ashlynn balled her hands into fists and put them huffily onto her hips. "Come on, Raven you two weren't exactly best friends forever after."

"That doesn't mean I don't care about her!" Raven shouted, slamming her hands down on the edge of the grand dining table. Other people stood from their seats as well, raising their voices to try and accuse or settle the arguers. There were only a few people left in their seats besides Apple herself: Cerise Hood who was attempting to pull the hood of her cloak over her eyes, C.A. Cupid who was veiling her face with a pink curtain of hair and didn't seem to notice the argument, and Briar who appeared to have dozed off.

Apple shook Briar's shoulder trying to wake her friend so she could help Apple end the fight. To her surprise, Briar reacted immediately. "What," she snapped, raising her pink tinted sunglasses to stare at Apple with raised eyebrows.

"Are you hearing this?" Apple gestured to the shouting teens before them. Most people who defending Raven were fellow rebels who had fewer shared moments with Blondie. The Royals, on the other hand, were used to having Blondie as a straggler for their clique and considered her an honorary Royal herself. Seeing as their relationship with her to have been more intimate than the Rebels, they backed up Ashlynn wholeheartedly. Maddie, completely avoiding the fight, distracted herself by refilling tea cups and presenting platters of wonder-filled treats and pastries that sadly went unnoticed during the spat. She attempted to busy herself in the shop by cleaning, dusting, Irish river dancing, and Apple swore that the girl was trying to create a makeshift croquet court out of cups, plates and spatulas.

Briar turned her head to get a glimpse of them all and shrugged. "Yeah, so? I mean, you know I have like super good hearing anyway. Blondie's dead, Apple. I get it."

Her friend's harsh words were so shocking that Apple's mouth dropped wide open. Blondie wasn't going to be woken by True Love's Kiss. There was blood at the crime scene. There were tufts of hair, and limbs… and, well the short story was the funeral wasn't exactly an open casket. Didn't Briar understand just how bad this was? Didn't Briar care at all about their friends who were an insult away from chucking hot tea at one another?

"Excuse me?" Apple said, standing and waving her arms to get everyone's attention. "Everybody calm down!" They were so wrapped up in their insults they didn't even notice her. The topic had veered off who cared about Blondie more and they were now bringing up little things from the past. Hunter was pointing at Daring and accusing him of stealing his mirror the night of Thronecoming, while Ashlynn was scolding Dexter about siding with Raven over her. It was Cedar, the farthest away from Apple, who saw the blonde's waving arms and let out a loud whistle. "_Everyone hang on a splinter!_"

Everyone's head whipped around to look at Cedar, who promptly looked as if she was blushing. It was hard to tell since she didn't have any blood to blush with. "Um, Apple was, uh, trying to say something? ...Right, Apple?"

Apple gave Cedar a charming, but grateful smile and nodded. "None of this matters. It doesn't matter who was better friends with Blondie; what matters is that we need to talk about how this affects us. All of us." Apple said, spreading her arms to gesture at them all. "I know you guys are coping the best you can, and I'm trying too, but we need to open up without yelling."

Smoothing out her signature skirt, Apple sat down as an example for the others to follow. They did, looking both sheepish and annoyed. "Who would like to start?"

Daring stood up again, this time his booming voice was a note quieter. "If you ask me, we have to start thinking about our own destinies. No offense Raven, but if Legacy Day went as planned then our futures wouldn't be up in the air."

Raven threw up her arms, slinking back in her seat with an exaggerated eye roll. "Oh my Grimm, I can't _believe _you're bl-"

With a quick toss of his golden locks, Daring shook his head. "I'm not saying that Blondie's death was all your fault, but she didn't sign the Storybook of Legends either. " He surveyed the room, his gaze meeting everyone else's. "We need to find out if what happened to Blondie can happen to the rest of us, and stop it before it does."

Daring was getting a lot better at public speaking, Apple noted. He truly would make a fine king one day. She stood up out of her seat and moved so she could stand next to him. "Has anyone's fairytale begun already?" She asked, and then turned to look at Ashlynn. "Ashlynn, how's your mother been feeling?"

The daughter of Cinderella crossed her arms over her chest and leaned into herself. She looked smaller than before, her eyes cast downward to look at her beautiful glass heels that were always present on her feet. "She's been just fine. No health problems or anything. I-I didn't sign the book, my mom shouldn't be getting sick anyway."

"And she won't, pumpkin, don't worry." Hunter, Ashlynn's boyfriend, put an arm around her shoulders and pulled the girl in for a quick hug. He leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of her head, and Ashlynn leaned into him, closing her eyes. Apple felt a twinge of annoyance at this display. If Hunter hadn't decided to sweep Ashlynn off her slippers, she might not have to worry about her future in the first place. Everything would've gone according to plan, and Ash would've been happy in the end.

"What about you, Briar?" Apple asked, looking back at her best friend forever after.

Briar curled her lip, and didn't meet Apple's eye. Instead she held out her fingernails, checking to see if there were any chips or smudges in her mani-curse. "What _about_ me?"

The future queen dropped the subject, taken aback by Briar's mood today but knowing that if she pushed it, Briar would come unglued. One of Briar's best friends had just be killed a few days ago, Apple reasoned, it was perfectly normal to be in a bad mood for a spell.

Maddie's multicolored head popped up, and she took a seat next to Cedar as if she had been there the entire time and not performing miscellaneous activities as fast as a hare. It seemed the bustling about had calmed the mad girl's nerves a touch as well. "What I'd like to know," she said, sounding calmer than any of the rest, "Is if the others are right as rain or… have already gone down the drain." She ended her verse with a whistle, twirling her finger in the air to mimic water spiraling downwards.

Straightening out in her chair, Raven spoke, her voice ringing with a curious clarity captivated her audience and, to be honest, had always made Apple ever so envious. The moody girl seemed to have settled some, as her cheeks weren't so red from indignation. She leaned over the table, lanky frame folding into a small 'c' and rested her hands on the edge. "You're right, Maddie. We're not the only fairytales at risk, and Blondie might be the start of something truly wicked. We need to check on everyone we know to make sure they're still okay. …And, no one get mad at me okay, but I think we should at least postpone writing _or _re-writing any of our stories until we know for sure what we're dealing with.

A few groans and eye rolls erupted from around the table. Apple could see Raven prickling up again, ready to lash out at anyone who argued with her. She knew Raven's mannerisms quite well by now, after sharing a room with her for nine months, and when Raven became defensive she always scrunched her shoulders up by her ears and narrowed her eyes into slits. A striking look, really, for the future evil queen. It made Raven's trademark purple eyeshadow look like dark flames dancing on her eyelids. Letting out a sigh, Apple leaned to her right, closer to Raven, and gave her ex-roommate a sad but comforting smile. "No, Raven is right, everyone. There's a serious danger here, and it's safer if we all pressed 'pause' on our destinies for a spell. Even if we're going to follow them. ...I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

There were a few nodding heads before Cerise Hood stood up and pulled her enchanted crimson cloak back a little, away from her stunning silver eyes. "I can lead a search pack for the rest of our friends. It's the least I can do."

Dexter nodded, getting up and walking over join Cerise. "Yeah, good idea. I'm totally coming. A-are you coming, Raven? I mean, you and anyone else really, haha…"

Apple rolled her eyes, but fondly. After all this time Dexter still hadn't worked up the courage to ask Raven out on a date. She didn't understand how Raven was clueless about Dexter's feelings for her. Either she hadn't said anything about it or she really was that dense when it came to boys. Apple, on the other hand, was getting invitations to balls when she was still nearly a nursery rhyme, so she had plenty of experience with smitten princes. Raven was more of a wallflower, and it made perfect sense that she was so oblivious to any crushes that were aimed her way.

Maddie's giggly language brought Apple back from her daydream, and back to reality. "I know exactly who to talk to about this! Giles Grimm, you all remember Giles, right? About yay tall, crazy-wild hair, speaks only in riddles? If anyone would know what this is all about, it's him."

Daring nodded once and pounded his fist on the table rather dramatically "It's settled then! We should form teams, to save time. Maddie, you're the only one who can speak Riddlish here, so I need you on my team."

"Wait a tick, I thought _I _was leading the 'Talk to Giles Grimm About Our Bloody Demise' team?" Maddie pouted.

"No, that would be me." Daring clarified, catched his reflection in a mirror hanging across the room, and giving himself a quick once-over.

"Okay, Cerise, Dexter and I are going to check on all our friends. Would Cupid and Huntlynn like to join us?" Raven snarked, using her pet name for the inseparable couple.

Hunter scoffed, but pulled Ashlynn in closer and kissed her temple. Ashlynn confirmed they were coming by sticking her tongue playfully out at Raven. Cupid simply remained silent.

"And I'll go with Daring and Maddie. Briar, Cedar? Are you coming with us?" Apple asked, dropping into that soft, questioning when she aimed her question at Briar. Her friend could be as prickly as rose vine when she was in a mood. Cedar nodded enthusiastically and Briar simply shrugged in response. That was… better, right?

Suddenly, with a flutter of feathers, Cupid stood up from her seat. Her petal-pink locks of hair fell back from her face to reveal bloodshot eyes and a quivering lower lip. An immediate hush fell over the room as she took a gaspy breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "Blondie was an a-amazing friend. She was so sweet to me, on my first day, and she really made me feel at h-h-home. Y'know, I really try to stay positive but she could always see when I wasn't feeling just right and I didn't think I could ever repay her for her kindness. Now I never can, and… I can't believe all of you!"

Tears started to fall from Cupids eyes, dripping silently onto the tablecloth. She furiously tried to wipe them away with the back of her hand. "I thought we were coming here today to spellebrate just how much Blondie meant to each of us! And we're… we're only thinking of ourselves! This isn't just right."

No one really knew what to say after Cupid's outburst. A few people sat back down in their seats, some whispered apologies under their breath. Cedar looked like she was about to burst into tears as well. Dexter, always sensitive to anyone's problems, started to move over to Cupid, but Raven reached her first, placing a gentle hand on the young elemental's shoulder. "Cupid, I'm sor-"

The angelic girl recoiled as Raven touched her, as if her hand was boiling hot. "Don't. _Even_. Talk to me, Raven Queen." She spat, slapping the Raven's hand away from her. Raven stood there, dumbstruck. Cupid was normally so sweet and loving, she had never seen the girl lash out both physically or verbally at anyone else during her entire stay at Ever After High. Indeed, Cupid herself seemed just as shocked at her behavior, her glower wavering for just a second before she pushed her chair back and swiftly walked to the door. She turned her back, pausing before she walked out of the room to turn to her fellow fairytales. "Just leave me alone."

She let the door swing shut behind her, and Raven flinched as the sound echoed through the shop. Both Apple and Dexter moved towards Raven to comfort her, but she waved them both off, shaking her hands. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Really, I'm okay. I'm sure Cupid and I will make up later. Right now, we have to hocus-focus on the plan. Cerise, Dex, Ash, Hunter and I will try to find everyone we can and make sure they don't start their tales yet. It might take a while, so when the rest you are finished talking to Giles Grimm, meet us back here at the Haberdashery to regroup. Briar, can you keep us posted via hext?"

Briar nodded, giving Raven a mock-salute with her spellphone. "You got it, witch."

"And everyone, remember," Apple said, interjecting, "Stay safe and stay on the path. Nothing bad will happen if we all stay together."

Cedar nodded, walking over to Apple's side and looping her arm around the blonde's, nudging her with her shoulder. Apple relaxed, giving her friend an appreciative smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daring rush over to his little brother and pull him into a giant bear hug, practically squeezing the air out of the younger prince. "You'll promise to stay safe, brother?"

Dexter let out a wheeze that sounded close enough to 'I promise' to Daring's satisfaction, and he released his brother from his vice-like grip. Adjusting the crown that doubled as a headband, Dexter straightened himself out as the rest of the group said goodbye. He leaned over towards Raven, cheeks still flushed both from embarrassment and lack of oxygen. "I'll keep hexting Cupid to see if she's okay. It isn't you, Raven, I'm sure."

Raven spoke quietly, wrapping the uneaten half of her salted caramel tart in a cloth napkin and tucking it into her silver clutch. "I know. This is hard for everyone. I'm used to getting a lot of blame, Dex, I'm not gonna take it to heart."

After Maddie wished her father a quick and confusing goodbye, they split into their two teams at the door. They all looked nervous, as if they all somehow knew, deep down, that this was just another way of denying what happened to Blondie- not talking about it and instead distracting themselves with other things. Even if those things were deathly important. Once they went their separate ways to complete their goals, Apple found herself linking arms with Cedar again, for comfort. Apple thought Legacy year was a confusing ride- she had no idea what to make of this. For the first time in a long time, she felt a vein of fear pulse deep within her; what if it didn't matter if you chose to follow your heart or your destiny? After all, everyone was destined to die. She prayed that Blondie would be the only one of her friends to die young.

AN:  
Okay, so there are a few things I should say. Firstly, no I haven't read the books yet. I have them ordered and they're on their way but it'll take a while so I'm just going off of what I've seen so far for each character. If I'm missing something huge: PLEASE TELL ME! I'll love you forever! Also, I'm holding off on the Charming family's curse but I know it's going to be juicy and once I find out what it is, it's 99% assured that it's going to be in here. Finally, I love reviews and I appreciate any and all of them, and I really do take them to heart when writing.

As far as Between the Bones is concerned, I have three shiny chapters that are all half-finished. I know, I'm sorry! I hit massive writers block, but it's still totally undead. I know some of you requested Frankie/Jackson/Holt and I'm just gonna say that if any of you love that pairing then you'll be pretty pleased with at least one of my chapters. Thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you next chapter!


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